This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC., The Coca-Cola® Company, and NABISCO, all opinions are mine alone. #ScoreTheWinningBasket
I’m a big fan of March—the weather starts warming up, spring officially starts (on my birthday, actually!) and we get some great basketball games to watch on tv.
The basketball tournament (and the newly warmer weather) are a great excuse to invite some friends over to watch a game or two. It’s also an opportunity to enjoy some fun snacks and appetizers, like my RITZ® Crackers Party Sandwiches. Here are a few tips for creating a great party!
1. Choose decor based on your team’s colors
I chose a variety of red and white decor from my alma mater. A neutral tablecloth layered with red and white plates and napkins, plus red pom poms (or the colors of your choosing) is simple and shows off the food.
2. Make a few dishes; ask your friends to bring the rest
I made two dishes: my Sweet & Spicy Wings and RITZ® Crackers Party Sandwiches (recipe below!). The RITZ® Crackers Party Sandwiches are a riff on the popular party sandwich that’s usually made with Hawaiian buns, but I swapped in RITZ® Crackers instead. The step-by-step tutorial is below. Ask your friends to bring their favorite party snack or beverage to round out the spread.
3. Make one dish store-bought
I used a store-bought spinach artichoke dip and surrounded it with carrots, broccoli, celery, red peppers, and WHEAT THINS Snacks for dipping. It took 5 minutes to put together and keeps the healthy eaters happy.
4. Add one new item to the buffet
I love discovering new foods and drinks, and it turns out, so do my guests. The newspaper circulars and the Target app are two great places to find new products. For this party, I served Coca-Cola® Orange Vanilla, a brand new flavor. When my husband Longe tasted it, he decided it tasted like a cross between orange soda and Coca-Cola® (and I might add, with a hint of vanilla). When a product is new, it’s unlikely that your guests have tried it, which is part of the fun of a potluck in my opinion!
Now back to those RITZ® Crackers Party Sandwiches!
Here’s what you need: RITZ® Crackers, deli ham, sliced Swiss cheese, one stick of butter, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, poppy seeds, and dried onion flakes.
The recipe makes 48 mini sandwiches, which is plenty for a crowd. You start with layering the RITZ® Crackers with ham and swiss cheese, and then topping each with more RITZ® Crackers.
A mixture of butter, worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, and salt gets drizzled over the top, and then topped with poppy seeds and dried onion flakes. It bakes for 10–12 minutes, or until the crackers are just lightly golden brown.
The end result is a delicious mini sandwich that is irresistible and just the right size for snacking while watching basketball.
Coca-Cola® Orange Vanilla is perfect for enjoying with the mini sandwiches, though other Coca-Cola® varieties would be delicious, too.
I love a good deal and I frequent my Target app to take advantage of the Cartwheel offers each week. I always find savings (usually a percentage off, though they have manufacturer’s coupons in there, too) for at least a couple of the items that I’m looking for at each Target run. And now you can save on NABISCO and Coca-Cola® with Cartwheel in the Target app, now through 4/8/19!
RITZ® Crackers Party Sandwiches
These two-bite mini sandwiches are the perfect addition to your game day buffet!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 48 mini sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 96 RITZ® Crackers (about 3 sleeves)
- ½ lb thinly sliced deli ham
- ⅓ lb thinly sliced swiss cheese
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place 24 RITZ® Crackers in the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish, flat side down. Place another 24 RITZ® Crackers in the bottom of another 13×9 inch baking dish. Tear the ham gently with your hands to create tiny strips (they do not need to be perfect) and lay a lightly folded slice on each RITZ® Cracker.
- Cut the cheese into 1 inch pieces and place one piece of cheese on top of the ham. Top each mini sandwich with another RITZ® Cracker, rounded side up.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, about 45 seconds. Gently whisk in the Dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, and salt.
- Pour the butter mixture evenly over the mini sandwiches, dividing the mixture evenly between the two pans. Sprinkle the poppy seeds and the dried onion flakes evenly over the top.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops of the Ritz Crackers are lightly golden brown.
- Transfer to a serving platter and serve while warm.
Keywords: Ritz Crackers Sandwiches
Such a classic flavor combo. I would’ve never thought to use crackers instead for a tasty appetizer! #client
It really is! Thanks for your comment, Kelly! 🙂
The recipe says 96 crackers 3 sleeves but then it says to line 24 crackers in 13×9
That would be 48 crackers. Is the sauce for a double batch? Which would be 96. I’m confused…
Thanks
Hi Ann, the recipe should call for TWO 13×9 pans, which uses all 96 crackers. I just fixed the recipe to reflect that. Thanks so much for pointing this out and I’m sorry for the confusion!